Foldable lamp shade

ABSTRACT

A foldable lamp shade comprising a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade, foldable frame holding the covering material, wherein said frame has several tensioning rods secured to said covering material, and several spreading rods pivotably secured at one end to the tensioning rods and at their other end to a slide, said slide being detachably secured on a supporting tube or rod receiving a lamp casing.

United States Patent 1 1 Hesse et al. Oct. 30, 1973 FOLDABLE LAMP SHADE [56] References Cited [75] Inventors: Kurt Hesse, Lemgo-Lippe; Hans UNITED STATES PATENTS Wagner, wolfefbom; Horst 2,087,537 7 1937 Finkel 240 042 h g y all f 2,710,339 6/1955 Targosh Germany 3,313,929 4/1967 Schiavone 240/6.42 x

Assignee: Staff & Schwarz Gmblll, LemgoLippe, Germany Filed: Mar. 15, 1971 Appl. No.: 124,384

Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 13, 1970 Germany o 70 09 308.2 Mar. 13, I970 Germany G 70 09 309.3 NOV. 25, I970 Qermany G 70 43 573.3

US. Cl. 240/108 A, 240/6.42, 240/108 R, 7 240/108 D Int. Cl. F21v l/00 Field of Search 240/6.42, 108 R,

Primary ExaminerSamuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Russell E. Adams, Jr. Att0rneySughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [57] ABSTRACT A foldable lamp shade comprising a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade, foldable frame holding the covering material, wherein said frame has several tensioning rods secured to said covering material, and several spreading rods pivotably secured at one end to the tensioning rods and at their other end to a slide, said slide being detachably secured on a supporting tube or rod receiving a lamp casing.

10 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATiNTEDw 30 i973 3; 769,504

sum 1 BF 4 SHEET 2 [1F 4 PAIENTEUHBI 30 I975 PATENTEDUEI 30 I975 SHEET 3 [IF 4 FOLDABLE LAMP SHADE The present invention relates to a simple economically designed lamp shade which can be folded in a simple space saving manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a a lamp shade with a clamping and folding mechanism capable of use in the most varied forms of shade.

In addition, the lamp shade, with its clamping and folding mechanism, is to be simply and reliably detachably secured to a standard supporting the shade.

In accordance with the present invention there is therefore provided a foldable lamp shade comprising a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade, a foldable frame holding the covering material wherein said frame has several tensioning rods secured to said covering material, and several spreading rods pivotably secured at one end to the tensioning rods and at their other end to a slide, said slide being detachably secured on a supporting tube or rod receiving a lamp casing.

It is preferable to provide, above and below a lamp housing provided on the supporting tube and having at least one, preferably several lamp holders, several spreading bars which are pivotably secured at one end to the common tension rods and at the other end to respective slides provided one above and one below the lamp casing; the lamp casing forms an abutment for both slides. The tension rods are made rigid or elastically yielding, straight and/or curved.

One slide is securable by a stop of a bearing tube extending around the supporting tube and the other slide is secured in position by a nut or the like, screwed onto this bearing tube.

It is also preferable to secure supporting struts pivotably at one end to the spreading bars approximately in the centre longitudinal area thereof, which struts are also displaceable at the other end on a slide which is displaceable about the supporting tube and lockable. The slide pivotably retaining the spreading struts is disposed above the lamp housing and the slide holding the supporting struts is disposed below the lamp casing and these two types of struts (spreading and supporting rods) form the folding mechanism with the clamping rods.

For elongated shades several spreading and supporting rods may be provided as separate, similarly acting clamping systems above and below the lamp casing respectively.

It is preferable to provide around the supporting tube a bearing tube receiving the lamp casing and the twoslides or only two co-operating slides respectively, said bearing tube having at one end an abutment for a slide and at its other end a hook-shaped locking member extending through a recess in the bearing and in the supporting tube into said tube and retaining the bearing tube in position on the supporting tube.

The lamp shade may be made in the most varied shapes, forexample, cylindrical, conical barrel-shaped, dome-shaped or spherical.

The lamp shade of the present invention is simple and economical to construct and, due to its construction, is capable of being compactly folded for transportation.

A special advantage resides in the simple economical design of the clamping and folding mechanism holding the shade which, due to its advantageous construction, can be used for very many different shapes of shade.

By means of this mechanism, the lamp shade can be simply and reliably secured to a lamp casing on a supporting rod or to a supporting tube ofa pendulum lamp or the like. The folding and mounting of the lamp shade can be rapidly and simply effected with only a few manipulations.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. I is a cross-section through a foldable lamp shade having an umbrella-like frame holding the shade in its tensioned position,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the shade of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cut-out of the region A of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through a cylindrical ,shade with the frame,

I lamp shade,

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section through a lamp casing and an arrangement for securing a slide,

' FIG. 11 is a plan view of the lamp casing with slide of FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is a side view of the lamp casing.

FIG. I shows a lamp shade and its covering material 10 which may be 'a textile or synthetic material. A frame which acts as a tensioning and folding mechanism, holds this covering 10 in a tensioned or folded position and has several tension rods I1, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, 12, the rods 11 being secured to the shade 10' by, for example eyelets 12or loops.

, Each tension rod 11 has, near each end, a linking I point I3 where spreading rods 14 and 15 of two tensioning systems of the frame are pivoted. Each spreading rod 14 and 15 is pivoted on an annular slide 16 and 17 respectively. Each slide 16, I7 is constructed in the form of a disc and has radial guide grooves 18 for the spreading rods 14 and 15 (see FIG. 3). A lamp casing 19, which in the present embodiment, receives three lamp bulbs 20, is disposed between the two annular slides 16 and I7.

A bearing tube 21 has a collar 22 formed at its upper end and carries an external thread 24 on its lower end, on which a nut 25 is screwed. The bearing tube 21 is disposed on a supporting tube .or a supporting rod 26 of the lamp shade 10. The bearing tube 2B which receives the lamp casing 19 and the two slides 16 and I7 arranged above and below this housing 19 may be secured in position on the bearing tube 26 by a fixing screw 27 extending through the nut 25 and pressing it against the supporting tube 26 or engaging in the tube 26. Alternatively, the bearing tube 21 can be slotted in the region of the thread 24 and so that engagement by pressure is produced between the bearing tube 21 and supporting tube 26 by means of the nut 25.

To fold the-shade, the nut 25 is loosened, the bearing tube 21 is extracted and the lamp casing 19 removed. The annular slides l6, 17 are then drawn outwardly in opposite directions from each other. During this movement, the spreading rods l4, 15 pass their greatest spread position, Le. a plane, in which they are disposed perpendicularly to the tensioning rods 1 1. After passing this plane, the spreading rods l4, 15 are folded together, the annular slides 16, 17 and most of the length of the spreading rods l4, 15 being located externally of the covering material it) of the shade. The tensioning of the shade is effected again by moving the annular slides 16 and 17 into the lamp shade. Initially, the annular slides 16, 17 serve as a stop, and subsequently the lamp casing 19 is arranged between them and provides a stop for them.

In the tensioned position of the slide 16 is disposed below the pivotal connecting points 13 of the spreading rods 14 on the tensioning rods ll, whilst in the folded position it is disposed above these points 13. In the case of the slide 17 the reverse is true.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings a lamp shade has covering material of textile or plastic materials, onto which several tensioning rods 11, in the embodiment twelve, are secured for example, by eyelets 12.

Each tensioning rod 1 1 has an eyelet 13 in the central region thereof on which a spreading rod 28 of an um brella-like tensioning system is pivoted at one end. All the spreading rods 28 are pivotable at their other end, being mounted in an annular slide 29. A supporting rod 30, the freeend of which is pivotably mounted in a slide 31, is linked approximately at the centre of each spreading rod 28 of the frame.

A lamp casing 19, which receives three lamps in the embodiment, is located between the two slides 29 and 31. The mounting of the slides 29 and 31 and the lamp casing I9 is described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 10 12. A supporting rod or supporting tube 26 of the lamp shade may be replaced by a pendulum arrangement or the like.

The lamp shade shown in FIG. 6 has two tensioning systems each of which if formed in the same manner as that in the embodiment of FIG. 4. The lamp casing 19 is disposed between the two tensioning systems on the supporting tube 26 which extends through two bearing tubes 38, one tube 38 being associated with each tensioning system, and is secured in each tube 38 from rotation and longitudinal displacement. The lamp casing 19 is non-rotatably mounted on the tube 26 but secured from axial displacement by friction, so that the level of the lamp casing 19 in the shade may be changed by vertical displacement.

The lamp shade shown in FIG. 6 is greater in depth than in diameter. The lamp shade shown in FIG. 7 has a covering 10 of textile or plastics material, Tensioning rods or wires 11, the embodiment has twelve as may be seen from FIG. 8, are connected to the covering 10 by eyelets, loops or the like. All the tension wires 11 are pivotably connected to an upper slide or holding ring 29. The construction of the slide 29 is shown in FIG. 10. Spreading bars 28 are each pivotably connected at one end to a tensioning rod or wire 11 at 32, the other inner end of each rod 28 being pivotably connected to a second lower slide 29. Both slides 29 are mounted on a supporting tube 26 which carries a lamp casing 19 carrying, in this instance, three light bulbs 201, mounted below the lower slide 29. A further slide 31 is provided to secure the casing 19. The point of engagement 32 of the spreading rods 28 on the tensioning'rods 11 is just above the maximum diameter of the dome-shaped lamp shade. The diameter of the downwardly directed open end of the shade is smaller than the maximum diameter attained. The position of the point of engagement 32 ensures uniform tensioning of the covering material 10 and simultaneously ensures that the desired dome shape of the shade is achieved.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the lamp shade has a spherical shape. In order to achieve this form, two tensioning systems must be used and the parts of the covering material 10 must be a suitable shape. The tensioning systems tension the wires H, which engage in the upper slide 29 and spreading rods 28 engage in the lower slide 29 below the upper slide 29 and the slide 3i below the lamp casing 19. The linking points of the spreading wires 28 on the tensioning wires 11 are indicated by 32. These linking points 32 are slected so that the tensioning wires 11 can adapt themselves to the spherical shape without being plastically deformed. Another kind of holding member, for example, a ring may be provided instead of the upper slide 29 shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, to hold the rods 11.

The lamp casing is disposed, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, between the lower slide 29 and slide 31, these slides being spaced from the upper slide 29.

As shown in FIGS. 10, IE and 12, the lamp casing I9 comprises of two parts 19a and 19!) which are held together by screws 33. The halves 19a and 19b of the easing together from three tubular attachments 34. For example, each tubular attachment 34 receives a lamp holder 35 for a lamp bulb 20. Each half 19a and 19b has a tube socket 36, 37, the sockets of the two halves being co-axial. The lower slide 29 is disposed on the front of the socket 36 A short bearing tube 38 extends through the slide 29 and the sockets 36, 37, said bearing tube 38 having at its upper end a flange 39 serving as an abutment for the slide 29. The other slide 31 is slipped on the lower end of the bearing tube 38. A double armed lever 41 forming a locking member is mounted to pivot about a pin 40 in the lower tubular slide 31. One arm of the lever All is biassed by a pressure member, for example, a spring 42, which is disposed in the slide 31. The other lever arm is formed as a hook 41a which engages in a recess 43 in the tube 38 and the supporting tube 26 and at the same time retains the bearing tube 38 detachably in position on the supporting tube 26.

Both slides 29, 31 are, as shown in FIG. II, telescopic, as their flanges 44a, 44b are incised. The resultant grooves 440 receive the ends of the spreading rods 28 or the supporting rods 30. These rods 28, 30 are pivotably mounted onthe slide 29, 3! by an annular holding member 47 countersunk into the surface of the slide 29, 31.

So that the lamp casing 19 can be located between the rods 28 and 30 during the assembling of the lamp shade, several adjacent tensioning rods 28 are suspended from the supporting rods 30 by means of hooks 45 thereby providing a gap through which the tube 38 can be slipped from above through the slide 29, and sockets 36 and 37 and the slide 31 can be slipped over the tube 38. The slide 3 is then locked in position by hook 410 thereby tensioning the shade.

In order to prevent the casing 19 turning relative to the tube 38, the slide 29 at least has projections 46 provided thereon (FIG. 11). These projections 46 engage in radial slits 39a in the flange 39 of the tube 38 so that twisting of the casing l9 relative to the tube 38 and, consequently, relative to the rods 28 and 30, is prevented. This ensures that the lamp bulbs 20 cannot come into contact with the rods 28 and 30.

The lamp shade may be constructed in various shapes and may have, for example, a cylindrical, slightly conical, barrel-shaped, dome-shaped or spherical form.

We claim:

1. A foldable lamp shade comprising:

a. a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade,

b. a foldable frame holding the coverng material, the

frame comprising:

1. a plurality of tensioning rods secured to the covering material, 7

2. a plurality of spreading rods pivotably secured at their one ends to the tensioning rods,

3. a supporting tube,

4. a first slide detachably mounted on the supporting tube,

5. some of the spreading rods being pivotably connected tothe first slide at their other ends,

c. a lamp casing mounted on the supporting tube, the

lamp casing being formed in two halves,

d. bulb holder attachments mounted in the lamp casing,

e. a second slide detachably mounted on said supporting tube, said other ends of the remaining spreading rods being pivotably connected to said second slide,

f. the two halves of the lamp casing being mounted on the supporting tube between said slides and forming two abutments, co-axial with the supporting tube, for the slides.

2. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 1 wherein radial grooves are provided in each slide to guide the spreading rods, and further comprising a bearing tube mounted on said supporting tube, a collar provided on one end of said bearing tube acting as an abutment for the slide, a thread provided on the other end of said bearing tube, a nut mounted on said thread, a fixing screw engaging through said nut and pressing against said supporting tube.

3. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 1 wherein radial grooves are provided in each slide to guide the spreading rods, and further comprising a bearing tube mounted on said supporting tube, a collar provided on one end of said bearing tube acting as an abutment-for the slide, said other end of said bearing tube being conical in shape and being threaded and slotted, a nut mounted on the threaded conical end to press said conical end of the bearing tube against the supporting tube.

4. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 1 wherein each slide is annular and said spreading rods are connected to said tensioning rods at connecting points, one slide being disposed above the connecting points in the untensioned position of the shade and below the connecting points in the tensioned position of the shade, and the other slide being disposed below the connecting points in the untensioned position of the shade and above the connecting points in the tensioned position of the shade.

5. A foldable lamp shade as defined in claim 1 wherein:

a. the two halves of the lamp housing are superimposed one on top of the other and are provided with a vertical passage through which the supporting tube passes,

b. the two abutments comprise socket tubes at opposite ends of the vertical passage, and

c. the bulb holder attachments extend radially outward from the vertical passage.

6. A foldable lamp shade comprising:

a. a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade, Y

b. a foldable frame holding the covering material, the

frame comprising:

1. a plurality of tensioning rods secured to the covering material,

2. a plurality of spreading rods pivotably secured at their one ends to the tensioning rods,

3. a supporting tube,

4. a first slide detachably mounted on the supporting tube, V

5. the spreading rods being pivotably connected to the first slide at their other ends,

0. a lamp casing mounted on the supporting tube, the

lamp casing being formed in two halves,

d. bulb holder attachments mounted in the lamp case. supporting rods pivotably connected at one end thereof to approximately the center longitudinal region of said spreading rods,

f. a second slide mounted on said supporting tube,

the other end of said supporting rods being pivotably connected to said second slide,

g. the two halves of the lamp casing being mounted on the supporting tube between said slides and forming two abutments, co-axial with the supporting tube, for the slides.

7. Y A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 6 wherein a bearing tube is provided on said supporting tube and supports said lamp casing, said lamp casing being disposed between said first and second slides, a collar provided on one end of said bearing tube abuts against one slide, a recess is provided in said bearing tubeand in said supporting tube, a hook-shaped leverlike locking member is provided on said second slide, a spring is connected to said locking member and to said second slide, said locking member engaging in said recesses in said bearing and supporting tubes thereby retaining said bearing tube in position on said supporting tube.

8. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 7 further comprising projections provided on said first slide, grooves provided in said collar, said projections engaging in said grooves and thereby preventing rotation of said bearing tube, and further comprising grooves provided in said first and second slides which receive the spreading and supporting rods.

9. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 8 wherein said tensioning rods are formed of resilient wires and wherein said supporting rods are suspended at the connecting points with the spreading rods to insert the lamp casing.

10. A foldable lamp shade as defined in claim 6 wherein:

a. the two halves of the lamp housing are superimposed one on top of the other and are provided with a vertical passage through which the supporting tube passes,

b. the two abutments comprise socket tubes at opposite ends of thevertical passage, and

c. the bulb holder attachments extend radially outward from the vertical passage. 

1. A foldable lamp shade comprising: a. a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade, b. a foldable frame holding the coverng material, the frame comprising:
 1. a plurality of tensioning rods secured to the covering material,
 2. a plurality of spreading rods pivotably secured at their one ends to the tensioning rods,
 3. a supporting tube,
 4. a first slide detachably mounted on the supporting tube,
 5. some of the spreading rods being pivotably connected to the first slide at their other ends, c. a lamp casing mounted on the supporting tube, the lamp casing being formed in two halves, d. bulb holder attachments mounted in the lamp casing, e. a second slide detachably mounted on said supporting tube, said other ends of the remaining spreading rods being pivotably connected to said second slide, f. the two halves of the lamp casing being mounted on the supporting tube between said slides and forming two abutments, co-axial wiTh the supporting tube, for the slides.
 2. a plurality of spreading rods pivotably secured at their one ends to the tensioning rods,
 2. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 1 wherein radial grooves are provided in each slide to guide the spreading rods, and further comprising a bearing tube mounted on said supporting tube, a collar provided on one end of said bearing tube acting as an abutment for the slide, a thread provided on the other end of said bearing tube, a nut mounted on said thread, a fixing screw engaging through said nut and pressing against said supporting tube.
 2. a plurality of spreading rods pivotably secured at their one ends to the tensioning rods,
 3. a supporting tube,
 3. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 1 wherein radial grooves are provided in each slide to guide the spreading rods, and further comprising a bearing tube mounted on said supporting tube, a collar provided on one end of said bearing tube acting as an abutment for the slide, said other end of said bearing tube being conical in shape and being threaded and slotted, a nut mounted on the threaded conical end to press said conical end of the bearing tube against the supporting tube.
 3. a supporting tube,
 4. a first slide detachably mounted on the supporting tube,
 4. a first slide detachably mounted on the supporting tube,
 4. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 1 wherein each slide is annular and said spreading rods are connected to said tensioning rods at connecting points, one slide being disposed above the connecting points in the untensioned position of the shade and below the connecting points in the tensioned position of the shade, and the other slide being disposed below the connecting points in the untensioned position of the shade and above the connecting points in the tensioned position of the shade.
 5. A foldable lamp shade as defined in claim 1 wherein: a. the two halves of the lamp housing are superimposed one on top of the other and are provided with a vertical passage through which the supporting tube passes, b. the two abutments comprise socket tubes at opposite ends of the vertical passage, and c. the bulb holder attachments extend radially outward from the vertical passage.
 5. the spreading rods being pivotably connected to the first slide at their other ends, c. a lamp casing mounted on the supporting tube, the lamp casing being formed in two halves, d. bulb holder attachments mounted in the lamp casing, e. supporting rods pivotably connected at one end thereof to approximately the center longitudinal region of said spreading rods, f. a second slide mounted on said supporting tube, the other end of said supporting rods being pivotably connected to said second slide, g. the two halves of the lamp casing being mounted on the supporting tube between said slides and forming two abutments, co-axial with the supporting tube, for the slides.
 5. some of the spreading rods being pivotably connected to the first slide at their other ends, c. a lamp casing mounted on the supporting tube, the lamp casing being formed in two halves, d. bulb holder attachments mounted in the lamp casing, e. a second slide detachably mounted on said supporting tube, said other ends of the remaining spreading rods being pivotably connected to said second slide, f. the two halves of the lamp casing being mounted on the supporting tube between said slides and forming two abutments, co-axial wiTh the supporting tube, for the slides.
 6. A foldable lamp shade comprising: a. a covering material cut to the desired shape of the shade, b. a foldable frame holding the covering material, the frame comprising:
 7. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 6 wherein a bearing tube is provided on said supporting tube and supports said lamp casing, said lamp casing being disposed between said first and second slides, a collar provided on one end of said bearing tube abuts against one slide, a recess is provided in said bearing tube and in said supporting tube, a hook-shaped lever-like locking member is provided on said second slide, a spring is connected to said locking member and to said second slide, said locking member engaging in said recesses in said bearing and supporting tubes thereby retaining said bearing tube in position on said supporting tube.
 8. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 7 further comprising projections provided on said first slide, grooves provided in said collar, said projections engaging in said grooves and thereby preventing rotation of said bearing tube, and further comprising grooves provided in said first and secoNd slides which receive the spreading and supporting rods.
 9. A foldable lamp shade as recited in claim 8 wherein said tensioning rods are formed of resilient wires and wherein said supporting rods are suspended at the connecting points with the spreading rods to insert the lamp casing.
 10. A foldable lamp shade as defined in claim 6 wherein: a. the two halves of the lamp housing are superimposed one on top of the other and are provided with a vertical passage through which the supporting tube passes, b. the two abutments comprise socket tubes at opposite ends of the vertical passage, and c. the bulb holder attachments extend radially outward from the vertical passage. 